


Insights

by Momuno



Category: Red Rising Series - Pierce Brown
Genre: Gen, It's basically just a fluffy oneshot, There's a hurt dog in this but he'll be fine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 21:49:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18269948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Momuno/pseuds/Momuno
Summary: Raising a child all on your own isn't easy. Fitchner could write a book about it.(May turn into a series)





	Insights

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this OneShot.  
> I must say that it is not my usual writing style, but I had this idea and when the first sentences came to my mind they were like this. I just had to write them down and since I wouldn't just change the style in the middle of it, I had to stick to it.  
> But I must say that I don't hate it. I actually find it kind of fitting, for this OneShot.  
> Anyways, I hope you like it and I would love to read your opinions on it. I also hope that it is not Out Of Character (or at least not too Out Of Character xD) I tried my best ^^  
> Also... I do not know how children behave. I don't know what made me write one... I just hope it's at least somewhat realistic :)

Sevro is four, he howls, he whines, he growls but he hardly ever speaks. People tell Fitchner that he will grow out of it, that some children need longer than others to start talking but Fitchner isn’t convinced. It isn’t that he believes that Sevro can’t talk, no he is pretty sure that he simply chooses not to.  
Sometimes, when he’s at his wit's end, Fitchner wonders if he does it just to spite him.  
  
It's an awfully warm day and Fitchner feels like he's slowly losing his mind. He's cramped up in the apartment his eyes fixed on the datapad in front of him. He can’t tell how many hours he has been sitting in this same gorydamn chair but he is well aware that he has long since stopped actually reading. His eyes may still roam the words but his brain is no longer capable of registering their meanings. It’s too hot, too stuffy. His skin itches from dried sweat even though he can still feel it running down the back of his neck. He really needs to fix the AC. The summer is hot and he knows that the heat is not going to ease up anytime soon. On the contrary, it’s probably only going to get hotter in the next days.  
The man sighs softly. His body craves movement but he wills himself into stay seated. He can’t stop working just because he feels the need to stretch his legs. These matters are important and Quicksilver is counting on his answer by tomorrow.  
  
Fitchner wipes the sweat from his brows and starts the paragraph over but it doesn’t turn out any better. The words seem to liquefy in front of his eyes. He feels likes he going crazy. If he isn’t already this certainly will drive him into it. Fitchner lets his head drop into his hands and starts massaging his temple. Closing his eyes for a little bit and letting his mind rest. _Just for a second._ He tells himself. Just till he can concentrate again.  
The second turns out to be a little longer than that. A lot longer. But when he finally opens his eyes again he can see that the door right in front of the table he’s seated at has been opened.  
A small figure is standing in the doorway. Balancing on his tiptoes, one hand still holding on to the handle, almost as if he has just opened it that moment. But Fitchner can’t be sure about that. Knowing his son, he could have also been standing there for half an hour. Sevro stares at him, eyes wide, biting his lips worryingly.  
  
Fitchner raises an eyebrow. “What’s wrong little Goblin.” He ignores the way Sevro furrows his brows at the hated nickname. His son doesn’t answer him. He just keeps starring as if he thinks that Fitchner could somehow read his thoughts. Fitchner shakes his head and stands up to walk towards the child. Once he reaches him he gets down on one knee, trying to be closer to Sveros eye level. He’s still far from it. The kid, after all, is tiny.  
“What is wrong?”, he repeats, trying not to get annoyed. Sevro once more doesn’t answer. This time however he lets go of the door handle and drops down from his toes. He motions his head towards the stairwell.  
Fitchner can feel himself start to lose the fight against the annoyance. It’s hot, he can’t work and his son refuses to talk. He puts his hands on the small shoulders, placing his thumbs underneath the boy's chin to force him to actually look into his eyes, not just at his face. “Use words.”

To his utter surprise, this works. Sevros answer is timid, he almost sounds as if he’s scared but his body language says otherwise. “He’s hurt.” For a second Fitchner can only star at his son. There is no blood on the boy's clothes or skin from what he can see. Whoever is hurt, Sevro apparently didn’t have contact with them, or they’re just not bleeding.  
He feels his grip tighten on the boney shoulders. Sevro winces slightly.  
“Who’s hurt, Sevro.” There’s a short pause in which the child bites his lip again, before finally answering his father.  
“The Dog.”

The dog turns out to be a mutt, on what looks like to be the verge of death. It’s lying on its side not reacting at all when Sevro runs up to it and pets its matted head. Fitchner realizes that he probably shouldn’t let Sevro play in shady back alleys on his own - or at all for that matter - but it’s not like anything bad happened so far and he could worry about this later. He kneels down next to his son. The animal doesn't appear to be physically hurt but the heat and lack of rain have apparently taken their toll on the poor thing. Its breathing is shallow and Fitchner wouldn't be surprised if it would just stop in the next minute. The chance of survival is slim at it's best. Maybe it would be more merciful to just end the animals suffering.  
The kid is still petting the dogs head. Murmuring softly to the animal, that hasn't acknowledged father and sons arrival. Of course, towards humans, he behaves like an animal himself, but when it comes to this mutt it's the other way around. Maybe that says more about people than Fitchners son.  
Still, there is no way this dog will survive. He ponders a little, not sure how to explain it to the kid. Finally, after a minute filled with nothing but Sevros murmuring, Fitchner puts a hand on the boys back.   
"Sevro..."  
  
The young kid whips his head around. His eyes are serious. More serious than Fitchner had ever seen them. They may be gold like his but at this moment Fitchner can see more of Bryn in them than ever before.   
"Help him."  
It's not a demand, not a question either. It's just a child wholeheartedly believing that his father would succeed in helping the animal, no matter what he would have to do. Fitchner sighs softly. His eyes wander from his son towards the dog and back before he nods. Only once, but it is enough to get Sevro excited. He jumps up and throws his thin arms around his father's neck, while lets out a small yell of joy.  
"Thank you." Fitchner can barely hear the words but when he does he can feel a smile tug on the corners of his lips.   
For a second he really hopes that there is an afterlife. That Bryn is currently looking down on them, seeing that Fitchner does at least some things to make their son happy. That he's at least not totally failing at being a father.   
"If you want me to help him, you have to let me go." Sevro immediately pulls away, but a big smile is still plastered on his face. Fitchner ruffles his hair before he leans down. He holds his hand in front of the dog's snout. So it can smell him and hopefully not freak out when he tries to pick it up.  _Now,_ _don't be stupid. I'm here to help._  To his surprise, the dog licks over the fingers in front of it once, before going back to ignoring him. Fitchner takes it as permission to touch it.   
  
It takes a few tries but Fitchner finally manages to lift the animal into his arms. It is bigger then it seemed when it lay on the dirty ally floor. Way bigger than Sevro. Its fur is dark gray almost black. Fitchner isn't sure if it is actually part of some breed but the young man doubts it.   
Once they are in the apartment again he tells Sevro to put the old blanked they keep stored on the couch on the floor. The boy complies without hesitation. Making sure that the place is not directly in the path of the setting sun, that shines in through the small windows. Fitchner lays the dog down, before going to the sink and filling a small bowl with water. He puts it down in front of the dog, who starts drinking the second the bowl touches the floor. They watch the dog for a while until Sevro speaks up once more.   
  
Romlus, that's what Sevro proudly names the animal. Fitchner tries to tell him that there's an 'u’ missing in the name but his son won't listen. He jumps around Fitchners legs in a display of unusual happiness, while Fitchner tries to find something edible for the dog. Going groceries shopping comes on his to-do list right in front of fixing the AC. In the end, he soaks a few pieces of bread in water. It's not much but it will fill the dog's stomach for a while. Fitchner only now realizes that he isn't even sure whether the dog is actually male, but he lets it slide. While Romlus eats, Fitchner manages to get Sevro to sit down.   
The smile on the kid's face has still not diminished and Fitchner feels a bittersweet pang close to his heart. He is glad to see his child so happy but he knows that this happiness might not hold for long. Just because the dog drank and is eating doesn't mean that it's actually going to survive. He isn't quite sure how to explain it to Sevro yet.   
"Listen, little Goblin," Fitchner waits till Sevro looks up to him. "We are doing what we can, but Romlus might not survive the night. And even if he does, he might not survive the next or the one after that. Do you understand that?" Sevro is quiet, seemingly thinking about the words he just heard. Then a mischievous glint appears in his eyes.  
"So we keep him."   
"Sevro, did you hear what I just said?"   
The boy nods. "Yes. You said we keep him."

Fitchner can't help the snort that escapes him. Technically that is what he said. He lets Sevro jump off the couch. "Only if he survives," he calls, but the boy doesn't seem to hear him. Maybe he is just ignoring him.  
Sevro crawls onto the blanket and curls up next to the sleeping animal. His little hands are fisted into the dark fur and Fitchner knows that he should do something about it. That he shouldn't let Sevro sleep next to the dog. He lets him be. Fitchner stays with them for a while, going over the data Quicksilver send him once more. He goes to bed later that night, hoping that he won't wake up to a bitter surprise. He doesn't. When he enters the other room in the morning Sevro is still sleeping next to the dog. It has raised its head, looking at Fitchner through brown eyes. Fitchner smiles. He moves towards the unlikely Duo, petting Romlus' head softly. "Good dog."  
Something tells him that the mutt is gonna pull through. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to you can always come and talk to me on Tumblr: [@howlingalltheway](https://howlingalltheway.tumblr.com/)


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